Senecio cruentus plant named ‘Sunsenebubakai’

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is a new and distinct variety of  Senecio  plant having blue and white-bicolored ray floerts, and upright and medium sized appearance.

Botanical designation: Senecio cruentus (Masson ex L'Hér.) DC.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Sunsenebubakai’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Senecioplant, which is hereinafter referred to as ‘Sunsenebubakai’.

A Senecio cruentus (Masson ex L'Hér.) DC. is a very popular plant thatis used in flower bedding and potting in the winter and spring seasons.

The purpose of this invention is to obtain a new Senecio cultivar withabundant and large sized petals having blue and white-bicolored rayfloerts, and an upright and medium sized appearance.

The new Senecio plant originated from cross-pollination of the femaleparent ‘09-83’ and the male parent ‘09-09’. The female parent ‘09-83’(unpatented) used in the crossing of ‘Sunsenebubakai’ is a strain of theapplicant's breeding lines (i.e., proprietary Senecio selection), havingwhite petals, and the male parent ‘09-09’ (unpatented) used in thecrossing of ‘Sunsenebubakai’ is a strain of the applicant's breedinglines (i.e., proprietary Senecio selection), having light blue andpink-bicolored petals. The cross-pollination was conducted in March,2010, at Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan.

In February 2011, the seedlings obtained by the crossing were planted ina field, and some seedlings were selected in view of growth habit,flower size and color thereof. Shortly thereafter stem tip culturing wascarried out, and then the propagation was started.

In November 2013, the cultivation of the seedlings was repeated. Thebotanical characteristics of that plant were then examined, usingsimilar variety ‘Sunsenebuba’ for comparison. As a result, it wasconcluded that this Senecio plant is distinguishable from any othervariety, whose existence is known, and has uniform and stablecharacteristics.

The new variety of Senecio plant was then named ‘Sunsenebubakai’.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This new variety is unlike any Senecio commercially available asevidenced by the following unique combinations of characteristics.

-   -   1. Abundant and large sized petals having blue and        white-bicolored ray floerts.    -   2. Upright and medium sized appearance.

The new variety ‘Sunsenebubakai’ differs from the similar variety‘Sunsenebuba’, which was applied for Japanese plant variety protection(the application number: 12095; the application date: 199/11/10; theregistration number 10653; the registration date: Sep. 31, 2002), in thefollowing points.

-   -   1. The ray floret color of ‘Sunsenebubakai’ is bicolor, blue        (95B) and white (NN155C). That of ‘Sunsenebuba’ is bicolor,        violet-blue (93B) and white (NN155C).    -   2. The flower diameter of ‘Sunsenebubakai’ is about 81 mm. That        of ‘Sunsenebuba’ is about 68 mm.    -   3. Ray floret length of ‘Sunsenebubakai’ is about 31 mm. That of        ‘Sunsenebuba’ is about 27 mm.    -   4. The disc diameter of ‘Sunsenebubakai’ is about 16 mm. That of        ‘Sunsenebuba’ is about 12 mm.

This new variety of Senecio plant ‘Sunsenebubakai’ was asexuallyreproduced by the use of cuttings at Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, andhomogeneity and stability thereof were confirmed. The instant plantretains its distinctive characteristics and produces true to type insuccessive generations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The depicted plants had been reproduced by the use of cuttings and werephotographed during November 2013 while growing outdoors in wall potswhich were about 15 cm in size at an age of approximately 6 months.

FIG. 1 is a photograph of a typical plant of the new variety of Senecioplant ‘Sunsenebubakai’ while growing in a pot.

FIG. 2 is a photograph of a close view of flowers of the new variety ofSenecio plant ‘Sunsenebubakai’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In November 2013, the cultivation of the seedlings was repeated atHigashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The average day temperature was about 10° C.,and the average night temperature was about 5° C. The plants were grownunder natural sunlight. The number of days to flowering (response time)was about 22 weeks. The quality was maintained for about 150 days. Theplants had temperature resistance to about 0° C. (the lowesttemperature) and about 30° C. (the highest temperature). Further, theplants had the same tolerance to pests and pathogens as a typicalSenecio plant.

-   For the parentage information: The female parent ‘09-83’    (unpatented) used in the crossing of ‘Sunsenebubakai’ is a strain of    the applicant's breeding lines (i.e., proprietary selection of    Senecio cruentus), having white petals, and the male parent ‘09-09’    (unpatented) used in the crossing of ‘Sunsenebubakai’ is a strain of    the applicant's breeding lines (i.e., proprietary selection of    Senecio cruentus), having light blue and pink-bicolored petals.-   For the propagation information: The number of days in which roots    started to form during the summer was about 7 days; approximate soil    and/or air temperature during the summer was around 18-20° C.;    number of days in which roots started to form during the winter was    about 7 days; approximate soil and/or air temperature during the    winter was around 18-20° C.; number of days to produce a rooted    young plant during the summer was about 28 days; number of days to    produce a rooted young plant during the winter was about 28 days;    root density was fine; root branching was free; root color was    NN155B; and root texture was fibrous.

The botanical characteristics of the new and distinct variety of Senecioplant named ‘Sunsenebubakai’ at an age of approximately 6 months areshown in the following Table. In the following description, thecolor-coding is in accordance with The Horticultural Colour Chart of TheRoyal Horticultural Society, London, England (R.H.S. Colour Chart 5thedition 2007).

PLANT VARIETY DESCRIPTION APPLICATION VARIETY CHARACTERISTICSunsenebubakai ANNUAL, BIENNIAL or Grown as annual PERENNIAL? TYPE OFPLANT: i.e., TREE, Potted plant SHRUB, SUBSHRUB, VINE, CUT FLOWER,POTTED PLANT APPROPRIATE Ideal for pots CONTAINERS +/or CROPPING SYSTEMGROWTH HABIT Upright PLANT HEIGHT About 47.0 cm PLANT DIAMETER OR AREAAbout 57.0 cm OF SPREAD PLANT VIGOR Vigorous BRANCHING HABIT Freelybranching PINCHING REQUIRED? Not required, 1~2 pinching stimulatebrunching NUMBER OF LATERAL About 8 BRANCHES LATERAL BRANCH LENGTH About29.5 cm LATERAL BRANCH About 7.1 mm DIAMETER INTERNODE LENGTH About 15.7mm STEM ASPECT Upright STEM COLOR (and bark color, Near 143A RHS ifapplicable) STEM PUBESCENCE? Pubescent OTHER PLANT/STEM NoneCHARACTERISTICS LEAF ARRANGEMENT Alternate COMPOUND OR SIMPLE? SimpleLEAF (LEAFLET) SHAPE Cordate LEAF (LEAFLET) TIP Acute LEAF (LEAFLET)BASE Cordate LEAF LENGTH About 64.3 mm LEAF WIDTH About 72.9 mm LEAFTHICKNESS About 1.1 mm LEAF (LEAFLET) TEXTURE Smooth LEAF PUBESCENCE?(Upper Smooth, Pubescence sparsely side) LEAF PUBESCENCE? (Lower Smooth,Pubescence densely side) LEAF PUBESCENCE COLOR Near NN155C RHS LEAF(LEAFLET) MARGIN Palmately lobed, dentate DEGREE OF SERRATION ShallowUNDULATION Undulated, weak VENATION PATTERN Reticulate venation LEAFCOLOR, IMMATURE, Near 137C RHS UPPER SIDE LEAF COLOR, IMMATURE, Near 93CRHS LOWER SIDE LEAF COLOR, MATURE, Near 137B RHS UPPER SIDE LEAF COLOR,MATURE, Near 191A RHS LOWER SIDE VENATION COLOR, UPPER Near 144A RHSSIDE VENATION COLOR, LOWER Near 144A RHS SIDE PETIOLE LENGTH About 50.0mm PETIOLE DIAMETER About 2.4 mm PETIOLE TEXTURE Tomentose PETIOLE COLORNear 144A RHS WING Absent STIPULES, TENDRILS, Absent THORNS, SPINES ORPRICKLES? IF SO, GIVE COLOR AND SIZE OTHER FOLIAGE None CHARACTERISTICSFILAMENT COLOR 4D RHS FILAMENT LENGTH About 1.2 mm STYLE LENGTH About4.0 mm STYLE COLOR 145C RHS FLOWER ARRANGEMENT Daisy-type inflorescenceborne in upper leaf INFLORESCENCE TYPE OR Mounding FORM (if applicable)INFLORESCENCE DIAMETER About 22.0 cm INFLORESCENCE HEIGHT About 26.0 cmFLOWER TYPE or FORM Single FLOWERING HABIT Continuous flowering Budsgrow one after another from axils. QUANTITY OF FLOWERS and About 144BUDS PER PLANT QUANTITY OF FLOWERS PER INFLORESCENCE About 6 NATURALFLOWERING Substantially continuous blooming SEASON from winter to latespring in Japan TIME TO FLOWER OR About 24 weeks RESPONSE TIME FRAGRANCEAbsent FLOWER BUD LENGTH About 7.3 mm FLOWER BUD DIAMETER About 6.3 mmFLOWER BUD SHAPE Globose FLOWER BUD COLOR Near 144A RHS FLOWER ASPECT;i.e., Upright UPRIGHT, OUTWARD, DROOPING, etc. FLOWER SHAPE Daisy likeshape FLOWER DIAMETER About 81.0 mm FLOWER DEPTH (HEIGHT) About 12.0 mmFLOWER LONGEVITY ON About 2 weeks at around 15° C. PLANT PERSISTENT ORSELF- Persistent CLEANING? *RAY FLORETS RAY FLORET TEXTURE, VelvetyUPPER SURFACE RAY FLORET TEXTURE, Smooth LOWER SURFACE RAY FLORETARRANGEMENT Daisy type RAY FLORET NUMBER About 13 RAY FLORET SHAPENarrow elliptic RAY FLORET MARGIN Entire RAY FLORET TIP Bitten RAYFLORET BASE Acute RAY FLORET LENGTH About 31.0 mm RAY FLORET WIDTH About7.9 mm RAY FLORET COLOR, WHEN Near Main N89A Center RHS OPENING, UPPERSIDE NN155C RAY FLORET COLOR, WHEN Near Mixed 93B and RHS OPENING, LOWERSIDE NN155C, Base NN155C only RAY FLORET COLOR, FULLY Near Main 95BCenter RHS OPENED, UPPER SIDE NN155C RAY FLORET COLOR, FULLY Near Mixed94B and RHS OPENED, LOWER SIDE NN155C, Base NN155C only *DISC FLORETDISC DIAMETER About 16.0 mm DISC COLOR (DISC FLORET Near N89C RHSIMMATURE, MATURE) DISC FLORET NUMBER About 137 DISC FLORET SHAPE TubularDISC FLORET TIP 5 pointed DISC FLORET BASE Fused DISC FLORET LENGTHAbout 7.2 mm DISC FLORET DIAMETER About 1.2 mm INVOLUCURE SHAPE Cupshape INVOLUCURE TEXTURE Smooth INVOLUCURE COLOR Near 143A RHSINVOLUCURE LENGTH About 7 mm INVOLUCURE DIAMETER About 8.4 mm INVOLUCURESingle whorl, fused ARRANGEMENT NUMBER OF INVOLUCURAL About 15 BRACTS(PHYLLARIES) INVOLUCURAL BRACT Lanceolate (PHYLLARY) SHAPE INVOLUCURALBRACT Entire (PHYLLARY) MARGIN INVOLUCURAL BRACT Narrow acute (PHYLLARY)TIP INVOLUCURAL BRACT Fused (PHYLLARY) BASE INVOLUCURAL BRACT Smooth(PHYLLARY) TEXTURE INVOLUCURAL BRACT About 8.5 mm (PHYLLARY) LENGTHINVOLUCURAL BRACT About 2.2 mm (PHYLLARY) WIDTH INVOLUCURAL BRACT Near144A RHS (PHYLLARY) COLOR, UPPER SIDE INVOLUCURAL BRACT Near 144C RHS(PHYLLARY) COLOR, LOWER SIDE PEDUNCLE LENGTH About 32.3 mm PEDUNCLEDIAMETER About 2.9 mm PEDUNCLE ANGLE Upright to semi-upright PEDUNCLESTRENGTH Medium PEDUNCLE TEXTURE Smooth PEDUNCLE COLOR Near 144A RHSSTAMEN NUMBER 5 per a disc floret ANTHER SHAPE Ellipsoidal ANTHER COLORNear N186A RHS ANTHER LENGTH About 1.5 mm AMOUNT OF POLLEN Medium POLLENCOLOR Near 7B RHS PISTIL LENGTH About 7.0 mm PISTIL NUMBER 1 per a rayand disc floret STIGMA SHAPE Bi-parted STIGMA COLOR Near N186A RHS OTHERFLOWER None CHARACTERISTICS OVARY COLOR 145C RHS QUANTITY OF SEEDS Seedproduction has not been observed. ROOT STRUCTURES such as Fibrous rootBULBS, CORMS or RHIZOMES? LOW TEMPERATURE 0 ° C. (However, the plantwould TOLERANCE be seriously damaged by frost, as other Senecio Plant,at any temperature.) HIGH TEMPERATURE Around 30° C. TOLERANCE DISEASERESISTANCE Typical for Senecio AND/OR SUSCEPTIBILITY PEST RESISTANCEAND/OR Typical of Senecio SUSCEPTIBILITY

This new variety of Senecio plant having the above botanicalcharacteristics is suitable for flower bedding and potting, particularlyin hanging pots or planters.

What is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Senecio plant named‘Sunsenebubakai’, substantially as herein illustrated and described.